LIMERICK band Hermitage Green playing live at King John’s Castle has captured the imaginations of their home support so much that the lads have done this gig to a full house three years in a row.
This year they are selling more tickets than ever! So much so that a second date at the castle has been added to meet demand.
“Initially we didn’t want to do a third year in the castle,” comments singer/guitarist Dan Murphy.
“We thought we were overstaying our welcome a little bit, giving people the same thing three years in a row.
“We didn’t think it would sell because we hadn’t released anything in two years and we didn’t think that demand would be there but Limerick audiences have just been so enormously supportive of us. We are really grateful.”
It is a short stroll from The Curragower Bar across Thomond Bridge to the castle gates, from the bar where the band busked for fun to the annual sell-out shows in Limerick’s historical outdoor venue.
For Hermitage Green that journey has taken years of building the band’s live reputation and original material. It’s long road in between these venues that are literally looking on each other over the River Shannon.
“We are five who randomly ended up playing music in the corner of a pub in Limerick. That is what we are and that is who we are. In an almost unconscious way, some of that resonates with people who come to see us.”
From filling the back room of the bar to full-house shows in Dolan’s, making a live album, signing a record contract, to huge performances at Electric Picnic’s largest arena and touring across the globe; and now today, the band is growing its audience in Canada and in the US. It is some journey!
In the last 12 months the band sold out their inaugural nine-show theatre tour across Canada, The band have played to full houses in Doha, Qatar, Dubai, United Arab Emirates as well as Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Australia.
“Six years ago we quit our jobs and gave this a go, thinking we’d do it for a year and then go back to working. But here we are six years later doing this for a living. We are very privileged to be able to do that.”
As the band work towards building their name in Canada/ US, they have played to thousands in support tours. They know that the pressure is on to have people care about the live set enough to come out and see them headline. And their live set has developed with experience.
“We were very, very raw in the beginning. We were new to it and not very good at captivating an audience. Many years later you have made your mistakes and learned. It is hard for us to see but we are doing this long enough now that we can entertain a room.”
In the Autumn, the band will head West again. Their management is based in Canada and is working hard to break the band across the water
“There is a bit of a buzz for us in Canada at the moment. We are loving that challenge to win over new audiences.
“You are travelling and you are with some of your best friends and you are playing music in another part of the world for people who paid money to come out to see you.”
From busking in a bar to world tours and celebrating it all with thousands of your friends at the hometown shows in the castle – it doesn’t get much better than that!
Hermitage Green play King John’s Castle on Friday July 26.
